An Ardèche Adventure

With numerous phobias and usually about as active as a slug, Lin Fou conquers some fears and gets physical in the south of France

I hate heights. Yet here I am, 30ft above the ground in a tree, standing on a narrow platform barely large enough to accommodate a grown man. The image of Johnny Weissmuller’s 1930s Tarzan, swinging through the treetops ululating famously comes to mind as I prepare to launch myself on a rope across a 40ft expanse. All around are strung up a bewildering array of zip-lines, rope nets, and things I don‘t know the names of. I understand I’m perfectly safe attached to a safety line by two thin metal cords, but I can’t rid myself of the feeling that this is all very unnatural. My heart is racing and I fight the urge to climb down and feel the comfort of the earth beneath my feet. I dare not look down, knowing to do so would tempt a bout of vertigo, something I’ve suffered from since I was a child. I try to throw myself off with abandon, but can’t. My stomach is turning and I feel sick. I begin to seriously reconsider the wisdom of my decision to go on this adventure sports holiday

My editor has sent me on this trip, partly I think for his own amusement. He likes the thought of me being outside my comfort zone. Normally, the most adrenalin-fuelled sport I engage in is watching Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium, or going on a psychopathic killing spree on my PlayStation 3, Grand Theft Auto-style. So here I am, a literal fish out of water, on a three-day break to sample the adventure delights that the south-eastern Ardèche region of France has to offer – kayaking, rock climbing, caving and a highropes course. The weather, after an abnormal two weeks of rain and thunder, is better than could have been hoped for. It’s 32°C in the shade and there’s blue sky as far as the eye can see – a welcome break from the grime and grind of the city.

The centerpiece of the area is the Ardèche River, a 55-mile stretch of gorges, carved over millennia through the region’s limestone geology. I’m here with Ardèche Adventures, a small company run by Phil Gasson and Mike Smith, providing trips for groups of schoolchildren, families, companies and solo adventure travellers. The two are childhood friends from south-east London who decided to escape the rat race a few years ago to make the Ardèche their haven.

“It’s just so incredibly beautiful here,” says Mike. “While canoeing on the river was the original draw for us, the fact that you can paddle it, walk it, bike it, climb it and swim it too just blew our minds.”

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